Attempted Arson by Molotov Cocktails at Dresden Church

July 27, 2017: In the early morning hours of July 27, 2017, unidentified individuals threw two Molotov cocktails at the evangelical Martin-Luther-Kirche in Dresden resulting in at least 1,000 euros in damage. Police are investigating.

The first of the cocktails damaged one side of the front door of the 138-year-old building, with the other bottle smashing against a sandstone wall near the access ramp on the side of the church. Traces of a "petroleum-like fluid" were noticeable on the wall and the floor of the church, the daily Sächsische Zeitung reported.

Investigators found stickers attached to guttering at the church, some of which called on people to make Molotov cocktails. Police asked for possible witnesses to step forward.

Pastor Eckeard Möller said he was "shocked" by the violent attack and called it "senseless."